Doubling of production facilities, revised in-house showrooms, new futuristic laboratories for research and training. Furniture companies are growing, starting with Talenti, which thanks to positive results in 2020 (+26% over 2019) is investing in a new headquarters in Amelia, Umbria.
“It all began three years ago with the purchase of the area of the former Pastificio Federici – says CEO and founder Fabrizio Cameli. – Over 80,000 square meters of area, of which 20,000 indoors, a showroom of 2000 sqm and the creation of a truly unique green zone. Today we have invested about 6 million euros, and we are certain that this new structure will allow us to be more competitive, with direct control of the entire production cycle to guarantee products that comply with the highest levels of quality.”
Then there is Arper, at Monastier di Treviso, which in the first half of this year will present the Arper Design Lab named for the company’s founder, Luigi Feltrin: 1400 sqm added to the existing 300-meter facility, for in-house management of the entire process, with a prototyping workshop, a materials library, training areas and spaces for interaction with designers and other creators, as well as a photo studio. “The company has decided to invest in expansion of the R&D division, boosting Arper’s competitive position on the global market – says the president and CEO Claudio Feltrin. – This major effort will help us to reduce the timing of presentation of new products on the market, foreseeing trends, testing aesthetic and qualitative efficiency of new collections will cutting the time required to obtain international certifications, an essential factor for competition in various areas of the globe.”
The list of companies that are thinking bigger is a long one: Rimadesio, the company led by the brothers Davide and Luigi Malberti, has opened a space in its showroom at Giussano for the R-Academy, a training facility for technological research on materials and the 259 Rimadesio finishes, aimed at clients, professionals and journalists.
Starpool has created Casa Starpool, a place where everyone would like to work, with wellness areas, in Val di Fiemme: “We’re here, and we will stay here, without reacting to the temptation for relocation,” says the CEO Riccardo Turri. The project comes as a result of a path of reorganization that began in 2015-16, with the support of the experts of Lean Management: “First we focused on in-house reorganization, on processes, operations, teams and people, all the aspects that are immaterial but vital for any company – Massimo Libretti, in charge of the technical division, explains. – Only later have we designed the most suitable ‘home’ to contain this change, narrating it and representing it to the outside world.”
Lago has recently completed the Lago Campus, a new building alongside the Lago Factory, at the existing production site in Villa del Conte, province of Padua. A workspace that makes people the central focus, as well as the environment, bringing the company’s size from 25,000 square meters about fifteen years ago to today’s 50,000: “We are boosting the central tenets regarding people and the environment in our business approach,” says Daniele Lago, CEO & Head of Design of the brand.
Another case is that of Linea Light Group, which within a few months will make the production site at Vazzola, province of Treviso, fully operative in an area with twice as many square meters, featuring an automated system with 10 plug-and-play robots.
Finally, Terratinta Group, located at Fiorano Modenese, in the ceramic tile district, is updating its headquarters with a new accent on people, as CEO Luca Migliorini explains: “The project covers large spaces for life in the company, not just during moments of work: a gym, a relaxation area, a kitchen, a nursery and a winter garden will be open to employees and visitors.”
